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After the Reshuffle

We can note that Birthe Rønn Hornbech didn’t jump but was pushed. Obviously, many ministers have been sacked de facto over the years but the usual procedure has been that ministers in trouble have been allowed to ask for their resignation. According to a colleague, we have to go back to 1967 to find the last instance of a minister being booted out of office (Tyge Dahlgaard, Trade and Industry Minister, who had spoken out against an economic boycott of Greece following the coup. This was not comme-it-faut among Social Democrats) But ok: Being fired de jure when she is being fired de facto is very Birthe Rønn Hornbech.

Tina Nedergaard’s resignation was unexpected even if she was one of the disappointments in the 2010 reshuffle. “Spending more time with the family” is one of the most tired clichés in management and political speak. Following the failure to initiate a school reform, Nedergaard was effectively just sitting out her term, but it is still a very unusual time to resign.

And then the replacements:

Two ministers out – one minister in. Fits a minimal reshuffle and makes sense in the run-up to an election. I’m still surprised that Peter Christensen was appointed but maybe he will continue in his role as attack-dog as Tax Minister. Could sharpen the Liberal Party’s liberal profile. Not sure that that will win the government side new voters, though.

Søren Pind – Immigration is still a part-time portfolio. Has been a positive surprise viewed as an administrator as Development Minister so he could have a career ahead of him, even (or especially) in opposition.

Maybe we could say that the reshuffled Liberal side emphasises the traditionally liberal tradition in the party. A final farewell to Fogh’s decade of welfare state-liberalism?